The Parallels of Oppression in Kindred
The Parallels of Oppression in Kindred Kindred does an incredible job showing the parallels between racism in the 1800s and sexism in the 1900s. While these seem like two completely different systems of oppression, their time periods made them both equally normalized and often led to good people acting in mean ways because their society allowed for it. We see this with Rufus and the way he treats Black people even as one of the most progressive white people in the book, and we see this from Kevin who often takes Dana for granted in their relationship because of certain obligations he believes she has as a woman and as his wife. Even though readers understand that both Rufus and Kevin are far more progressive than others of their time, it is frustrating to watch Dana experience the unfairness of their inherent biases. We see the most obvious oppression through Rufus’ treatment of black people throughout the book. He is clearly on the more progressive end regarding treatment of sl...